Interfacing with a buffer manager via queues

ABSTRACT

Embodiments include a system on chip (SOC) comprising: a cache; a buffer manager configured to manage a plurality of buffer locations; and a processing core configured to issue a buffer allocation request to the buffer manager to request the buffer manager to allocate one or more buffer locations to the processing core, the buffer manager being further configured to, in response to receiving the buffer allocation request, allocate a first buffer location to the processing core by writing a first buffer pointer associated with the first buffer location to the cache, and the processing core being further configured to obtain the allocation of the first buffer location by reading the first buffer pointer from the cache.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/933,108, filed on Jan. 29, 2014, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a buffer manager formanaging buffer locations, and in particular to interfacing between aprocessing core and a buffer manager.

BACKGROUND

The background description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventor(s), to the extent the work is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description that may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neitherexpressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentdisclosure.

A buffer manager generally manages one or more buffer pools, where abuffer pool comprises a plurality of buffer locations. A processing corecommunicates with the buffer manager, for example, to request allocationof buffer locations to the processing core, and/or to request release ofbuffer locations that were previously allocated to the processing core.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a system on chip(SOC) comprising: a cache; a buffer manager configured to manage aplurality of buffer locations; and a processing core configured to issuea buffer allocation request to the buffer manager to request the buffermanager to allocate one or more buffer locations to the processing core,the buffer manager being further configured to, in response to receivingthe buffer allocation request, allocate a first buffer location to theprocessing core by writing a first buffer pointer associated with thefirst buffer location to the cache, and the processing core beingfurther configured to obtain the allocation of the first buffer locationby reading the first buffer pointer from the cache.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a methodcomprising: issuing, by a processing core, a buffer allocation requestto a buffer manager to request the buffer manager to allocate one ormore buffer locations to the processing core; in response to receivingthe buffer allocation request, allocating, by the buffer manager, afirst buffer location to the processing core by writing a first bufferpointer associated with the first buffer location in a cache; andobtaining, by the processing core, the allocation of the first bufferlocation by reading the first buffer pointer from the cache.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be readily understood by thefollowing detailed description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numeralsdesignate like structural elements. Various embodiments are illustratedby way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system on chip (SOC) comprising aplurality of processing cores, a buffer manager, a queue, where aprocessing core at least in part communicates with the buffer managervia the queue, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example operation of the SOC of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example operation of the SOC of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example operation of the SOC of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an example SOC, in accordance withanother embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method for interfacing between abuffer manager and a processing core.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system on chip (SOC) 100 comprising aplurality of processing cores 102 a, . . . , 102N, a buffer manager 110(henceforth referred to herein as “BM 110”), an allocation queue Q1(henceforth referred to herein as “queue Q1”), and a release queue Q2(henceforth referred to herein as “queue Q2”), where one or more of theprocessing cores 102 a, . . . , 102N at least in part communicate withthe BM 110 via one or both of the queues Q1 and Q2.

In an example, at least part of a buffer allocation operation isperformed based on communication between the BM 110 and a processingcore via the queue Q1, as will be discussed in details herein later. Inanother example, at least part of a buffer release operation isperformed based on communication between the BM 110 and a processingcore via the queue Q2, as will be discussed in details herein later.Communicating between the processing cores and the BM 110 via the queuesQ1 and Q2, in an example, results in an increase in a speed ofcommunication, as will be discussed in details herein later.

In an embodiment, the SOC 100 further comprises a plurality of bufferpools 114 a, . . . , 114M. Each buffer pool comprises a plurality ofbuffer locations. For example, the buffer pool 114 a comprises aplurality of buffer locations 120. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the SOC100 comprising the buffer pools 114 a, . . . , 114M, in anotherembodiment (and although not illustrated in FIG. 1), in an embodiment,one or more of the buffer pools 114 a, . . . , 114M are external to theSOC 100.

The buffer locations included in the buffer pools 114 a, . . . , 114M,for example, buffer or temporarily store any appropriate information,e.g., data packets, packet descriptors associated with the data packets(e.g., where a packet descriptor associated with a data packet includesvarious information about the data packet), or any other appropriatetype of information.

In an example, the number of buffer locations included in ones of thebuffer pools 114 a, . . . , 114M are different, although, in anotherexample, the number of buffer locations included in ones of the bufferpools 114 a, . . . , 114M are the same. For example, assume that thebuffer pool 114 a includes a first number of buffer locations, thebuffer pool 114 b includes a second number of buffer locations, and soon. In an example, the first and second numbers have equal values. Inanother example, the first number is different from the second number.

In an embodiment, ones of the buffer locations in the buffer pools 114a, . . . , 114M has a corresponding address or identification, which isalso referred to herein as a buffer pointer. Thus, a buffer pointerassociated with a buffer location is used to uniquely identify thebuffer location. As an example, a processing core accesses a bufferlocation, using an address of the buffer location included in thecorresponding buffer pointer.

In an embodiment, the BM 110 manages the buffer locations in the bufferpools 114 a, . . . , 114M. For example, when a processing core requestsaccess to a buffer location (e.g., to store a data packet in the bufferlocation), the BM 110 assigns or allocates a buffer location from abuffer pool to the processing core. In another example, after aprocessing core has been assigned a buffer location and the processingcore no longer needs the buffer location (e.g., has already used thebuffer location to store a data packet, and no longer needs the datapacket to be stored in the buffer location), the processing corerequests the BM 110 to release the buffer location—based on such arequest, the BM 110 releases the buffer location in the buffer pool, sothat the buffer location is made available to be assigned to anothercomponent of the SOC 100 (e.g., to another processing core).

In an embodiment, the queues Q1 and Q2 are stored in a cache 114 of theSOC 100. In an embodiment, the cache 114 is a level 1 (L1) cache. Inanother embodiment, the cache 114 is a level 2 (L2) or a level 3 (L3)cache. Although the two queues Q1 and Q2 illustrated in FIG. 1 are forallocation and release operations, respectively, in an embodiment, thetwo queues Q1 and Q2 are combined or integrated in a single queue. In anembodiment, the queues Q1 and Q2 are first-in first-out queues.

In an embodiment, the processing cores 102 a, . . . , 102N communicatewith the BM 110 at least in part via an interface 106. In an embodiment,the interface 106 transmits various commands between the processingcores 102 a, . . . , 102N and the BM 110, as will be discussed infurther details herein later. In an example, the interface 106 is a hostmemory accelerator unit (HMAC). In an example, the interface 106 isintegrated or combined with the BM 110.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of processing cores, in anotherembodiment, the SOC 100 comprises a single processing core. AlthoughFIG. 1 illustrates each of the plurality of processing cores beingcoupled to the BM 110 via the interface 106, in another embodiment, oneor more (e.g., but not all) of the plurality of processing cores arecoupled to the BM 110.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example operation of the SOC 100 of FIG. 1. Forexample, when a processing core needs to store data in one or morebuffer locations, the processing core transmits a buffer allocationrequest to the BM 110. In response, the BM 110 assigns or allocates oneor more buffer locations (e.g., from one or more buffer pools) to theprocessing core, e.g., by transmitting the associated buffer pointers tothe processing core. Once the processing core receives the bufferpointers, the processing core assumes that the buffer locationsassociated with the received buffer pointers have been assigned to theprocessing core. Accordingly, the processing core stores data in theallocated buffer locations. FIG. 2 is directed to a buffer allocationoperation, in which buffer locations are allocated by the BM 110 to anexample processing core 102 a.

FIG. 2 illustrates only some of the components of the SOC 100, e.g.,those components that are relevant to a buffer allocation operation.Also, various operations illustrated in FIG. 2 are numbered, to identifythe sequence in which the operations occur. However, in otherembodiments, the operations occur in a sequence that is different fromthe sequence numbers illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, initially, the processing core 102 a issues abuffer allocation request, e.g., an allocation queue status update, torequest allocation of buffer locations to the processing core 102 a. Inan embodiment, the buffer allocation request is issued to the interface106, which in turn transmits the request (or transmits a correspondingbut different request) to the BM 110. In another embodiment, the bufferallocation request is issued to the BM 110 directly, by bypassing theinterface 106. The interface 106 is illustrated in dotted lines in FIG.2, as the interface 106, in some example, is selectively bypassed whilethe processing core 102 a communicates with the BM 110; and in someother examples, the processing core 102 a communicates with the BM 110via the interface 106.

Based on the BM 110 receiving the allocation request from the processingcore 102 a, the BM 110 allocates one or more buffer locations from oneor more buffer pools to the processing core 102 a. As an example, the BM110 allocates a batch of buffer locations (e.g., eight buffer locations)to the processing core 102 a. As previously discussed herein, eachbuffer location has a corresponding buffer pointer, which, for example,serves as an address or an identification of the buffer location. The BM110 allocates the buffer locations to the processing core 102 a by, forexample, writing the corresponding buffer pointers of the allocatedbuffer locations to the queue Q1, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The queueQ1, thus, queues the buffer pointers corresponding to the bufferlocations that have been allocated to the processing core 102 a by theBM 110.

In an embodiment, the processing core 102 a checks a status of thebuffer allocation request (labeled as “3. Test status” in FIG. 2), toconfirm whether the BM 110 has written the allocated buffer pointers tothe queue Q1. In an example, the processing core 102 a polls the BM 110and/or the interface 106 to determine if the allocated buffer pointershave been written in the queue Q1. In another example, once theallocated buffer pointers are written in the queue Q1, the BM 110 and/orthe interface 106 transmits an acknowledgement to the processing core102 a, indicating that the allocated buffer pointers have been writtenin the queue Q1.

Subsequently, the processing core 102 a reads the allocated bufferpointers from the queue Q1, and determines the buffer locations thathave been allocated to the processing core 102 a. In an embodiment, theprocessing core writes information (e.g., data packets, packetsdescriptors, and/or the like) to the allocated buffer locations.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example operation (e.g., a buffer releaseoperation) of the SOC 100 of FIG. 1. For example, when one or morebuffer locations are assigned to a processing core (e.g., the processingcore 102 a, as illustrated in FIG. 2), the processing core stores datapackets in the allocated buffer locations. When the processing core nolonger uses the allocated buffer locations, the buffer locations arereleased by the processing core, e.g., such that the released bufferlocations are available with the BM 110 to be allocated to anappropriate component of the SOC 100 (e.g., to a processing core of theSOC 100), as discussed in more detail herein later with respect to FIG.3. Thus, FIG. 3 is directed to a buffer release operation, in whichbuffer locations are released by an example processing core 102 a.

FIG. 3 illustrates only some of the components of the SOC 100, e.g.,those components that are relevant to a buffer release operation. Also,various operations illustrated in FIG. 3 are numbered, to identify thesequence in which the operations occur. However, in other embodiments,the operations occur in a sequence that is different from the sequencenumbers illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, initially, the processing core 102 a decides torelease one or more buffer locations (e.g., as the processing core 102 ano longer needs the one or more buffer locations to store correspondingone or more data packets), and writes the corresponding buffer pointersto the queue Q2. In an example, the processing core 102 a releases abatch of buffer locations (e.g., eight buffer locations) to the BM 110,i.e., writes the corresponding buffer pointers to the queue Q2.

Subsequently, the processing core 102 a issues a buffer release request,e.g., a release queue status update. In an example, the release queuestatus update is issued to the interface 106, which in turn transmitsthe update (or transmits another corresponding request) to the BM 110.In another example, the release queue status update is issued to the BM110, e.g., by bypassing the interface 106.

Once the BM 110 is aware of the release queue status update, the BM 110reads the released buffer pointers from the queue Q2. Subsequently,based on reading the buffer pointers, the BM 110 releases thecorresponding buffer locations. For example, the BM 110 releases thecorresponding buffer locations by making these buffer locationsavailable for future allocation to any appropriate component of the SOC100. For example, the BM 110 marks or labels these buffer pointers(e.g., by setting a flag) as being available for future allocation toany appropriate component of the SOC 100.

In an embodiment, the processing core 102 a checks a status of thebuffer release request (labeled as “4. Test status” in FIG. 3), toconfirm whether the BM 110 has read the contents from the queue Q2. Inan example, the processing core 102 a polls the BM 110 and/or theinterface 106 to determine if the buffer pointers have been read fromthe queue Q2. In another example, once the buffer pointers are read fromthe queue Q2, the BM 110 and/or the interface 106 transmits aconfirmation to the processing core 102 a, indicating that the bufferpointers have been read from the queue Q2. In an embodiment, once theprocessing core 102 a receives such a confirmation, the processing core102 a initiates another buffer release operation, if necessary (e.g., bywriting buffer pointers associated with the another buffer releaseoperation to the queue Q2).

In FIG. 2, the BM 110 allocates buffer locations to the processing core102 a; and in FIG. 3, the processing core 102 a releases the bufferlocations back to the BM 110, where the allocated buffer locations aremanaged by the BM 110. In an embodiment, a processing core (e.g., theprocessing core 102 a) also manages one or more buffer locations (e.g.,one or more buffer pools that comprise one or more buffer locations).For example, the processing core 102 a allocates one or more bufferlocations to one or more components of the SOC 100. For example, theprocessing core 102 a allocates one or more buffer locations to the BM110, or to any other appropriate component of the SOC 100. Once the useof the allocated buffer locations is over, the buffer locations need toreleased to the processing core 102 a (e.g., to enable the processingcore 102 a to recycle these buffer locations, i.e., make these bufferlocations available for allocation to other components of the SOC 100).For example, assume that the processing core 102 a allocates a bufferlocation for buffering a data packet, e.g., allocates the bufferlocation to an input/output (I/O) component of the SOC 100, and the datapacket is stored by the I/O component in the allocated buffer location.Once the data packet is transmitted from the buffer location (e.g.transmitted over a network, processed by a component of the SOC 100,etc.), the I/O component no longer needs to store the data packet in thebuffer location, and accordingly, the I/O component releases the bufferlocation to the BM 110. As the buffer location is managed by theprocessing core 102 a, the BM 110 needs to release the buffer locationto the processing core 102 a (e.g., to enable the processing core 102 ato recycle these buffer locations, i.e., make these buffer locationsavailable for allocation to other components of the SOC 100). It is tobe noted that the release operation discussed herein is different fromthe release operation discussed with respect to FIG. 3. For example, inFIG. 3, the processing core 102 a releases buffer locations (e.g., whichare managed by the BM 110) to the BM 110; whereas in the scenariodiscussed herein above, the buffer locations (e.g., which are managed bythe processing core 110) are released by the BM 110 to the processingcore 110.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example operation (e.g., a buffer releaseoperation) of the SOC 100 of FIG. 1, where the BM 110 releases aplurality of buffer locations to an example processing core 102 a of theSOC 100. For example, the buffer locations released in FIG. 4 aremanaged by the processing core 102 a, and the processing core 102 apreviously assigned these buffer locations to various components (e.g.,an I/O component, the BM 110, etc.) of the SOC 100. FIG. 4 illustratesonly some of the components of the SOC 100, e.g., those components thatare relevant to a buffer release operation. Also, various operationsillustrated in FIG. 4 are numbered, to identify the sequence in whichthe operations occur. However, in other embodiments, the operationsoccur in a sequence that is different from the sequence numbersillustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, initially, the BM 110 decides to release one ormore buffer locations to the example processing core 102 a, and writesthe corresponding buffer pointers (e.g., pushes the buffer pointers) tothe release queue Q2 (although, in another embodiment, the bufferpointers are written to a dedicated queue that is (i) different from thequeue Q2 and (ii) queues buffer pointers released from the BM 110 to theprocessing core 102 a). In an example, the BM 110 releases a batch ofbuffer locations (e.g., eight buffer locations) to the processing core102 a, i.e., writes the corresponding buffer pointers to the queue Q2.

Subsequently, the processing core 102 a performs a test status operation(e.g., by communicating with the interface 106 and/or the BM 110), toascertain if the BM 110 has released any buffer locations to theprocessing core 102 a.

In response to determining that the BM 110 has released one or morebuffer locations to the processing core 102 a, the processing core 102 areads the released buffer pointers from the queue Q2. Based on readingthe buffer pointers form the queue Q2, the processing core 102 areleases the associated buffer locations (e.g., by making these bufferlocations available for future allocation to any appropriate componentof the SOC 100). For example, the processing core 102 a marks or labelsthese buffer pointers (e.g., by setting a flag) as being available forfuture allocation to any appropriate component of the SOC 100.Furthermore, the processing core 102 a transmits an update status to theBM 110, e.g., to update the BM 110 that the processing core 102 a hasread the buffer pointers from the queue Q2 (e.g., t enable the BM 110 towrite the next batch of released buffer pointers to the queue Q2).

Interfacing between a processing core and the BM 110 via queues Q1 andQ2, for example, makes communication between the processing core and theBM 110 relatively faster. For example, in a conventional system, when aprocessing core requests a buffer manager for buffer allocation, thebuffer manager transmits an allocated buffer pointer to the processingcore directly (e.g., without routing such buffer pointers via a queue).Such direct communication of buffer pointers between the buffer managerand the processing core has relatively higher overhead (e.g., for suchcommunication, the buffer manager and the processing core have to besimultaneously available, and the increase in overhead is also due totasks such as lock and status test). In contrast, in the SOC 100 ofFIGS. 1-3, the processing core 102 a and the BM 110 communicates bufferpointers via the queues Q1 and Q2, thereby making such communicationrelatively faster and with relatively less overhead (e.g., because forsuch communication via the queues Q1 and Q2, the BM 110 and theprocessing core 102 a need not have to be simultaneously available, andaccordingly, for example, tasks such as lock and status test areredundant, thereby eliminating the relatively higher overheadexperienced by the conventional system).

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the interface 106 interfacing between theprocessing cores 102 a, . . . , 102N and the BM 110. However, in anotherembodiment, the interface 106 interfaces the processing cores 102 a, . .. , 102N with one or more other appropriate components of the SOC 100.

For example, FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a SOC 500 comprising theplurality of processing cores 102 a, . . . , 102N, the BM 110, theinterface 106, and an input/output (I/O) controller 504. Variouscomponents of the SOC 500 are at least in part similar to the componentsof the SOC 100. However, in the SOC 500, the interface 106 is configuredto interface the processing cores 102 a, . . . , 102N with the BM 110and also with the I/O controller 504. In an embodiment, the I/Ocontroller 504 is of any appropriate type, e.g., an Ethernet networkinginterface controller, or the like. In an example, the I/O controller 504controls one or more I/O components, e.g., an Ethernet port.

Furthermore, in the SOC 500, in addition to the queues Q1 and Q2, thecache 114 comprises a descriptor queue Q3 (henceforth referred to as“queue Q3”). In an example, a structure of the queue Q3 is similar tothe structures of the queues Q1 and Q2. In an embodiment, the queue Q3queues packet descriptors that are, for example, communicated betweenthe I/O controller 504 and one or more of the processing cores 102 a, .. . , 102N. In an example, a packet descriptor associated with a datapacket is a data structure that is configured to represent the datapacket for the purpose of processing, while the data packet is stored,and is further configured to contain selected header information fromthe data packet, without the packet payload. In an example, the packetdescriptor associated with a data packet comprises one or moreattributes of the data packet, e.g., a type of the data packet, headerinformation of the data packet, a size of the data packets, and/or thelike.

In an example, communicating, via the queue Q3, the packet descriptorsbetween the I/O controller 504 and one or more of the processing cores102 a, . . . , 102N makes such communication relatively faster (e.g.,compared to communicating the packet descriptors directly between theI/O controller 504 and one or more of the processing cores 102 a, . . ., 102N). For example, such communication via the queue Q3 eliminates theneed of the I/O controller 504 and the processing cores to besimultaneously available for communicating, and accordingly, forexample, tasks such as lock and status test are redundant.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method 600 for interfacingbetween a buffer manager (e.g., the BM 110 of FIGS. 1-5) and aprocessing core (e.g., the processing core 102 a of FIGS. 1-5). At 604,the processing core issues a buffer allocation request to the buffermanager to request the buffer manager to allocate one or more bufferlocations to the processing core. At 608, in response to receiving thebuffer allocation request, the buffer manager allocates a first bufferlocation to the processing core by writing a first buffer pointerassociated with the first buffer location in a cache (e.g., in the queueQ1 included in the cache 114). At 612, the processing core obtains theallocation of the first buffer location by reading the first bufferpointer from the cache.

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments orimplementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may besubstituted for the embodiments illustrated and described withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. This application isintended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodimentsdiscussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodimentsin accordance with the present invention be limited only by the claimsand the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system on chip (SOC) comprising: a cache; abuffer manager configured to manage a plurality of buffer locations; anda processing core configured to issue a buffer allocation request to thebuffer manager to request the buffer manager to allocate one or morebuffer locations to the processing core, the buffer manager beingfurther configured to, in response to receiving the buffer allocationrequest, allocate a first buffer location to the processing core bywriting a first buffer pointer associated with the first buffer locationto the cache, and the processing core being further configured to obtainthe allocation of the first buffer location by reading the first bufferpointer from the cache.
 2. The SOC of claim 1, wherein the processingcore is further configured to, based on the first buffer location beingallocated to the processing core, store information in the first bufferlocation allocated by the buffer manager.
 3. The SOC of claim 2, whereinthe processing core is further configured to store the information inthe first buffer location allocated by the buffer manager, theinformation comprising one of a data packet or a packet descriptorassociated with the data packet.
 4. The SOC of claim 1, wherein thefirst buffer pointer comprises an address of the first buffer location,and wherein the processing core is further configured to access thefirst buffer location using the address of the first buffer locationincluded in the first buffer pointer read by the processing core.
 5. TheSOC of claim 1, wherein the cache is a level 1 (L1) cache.
 6. The SOC ofclaim 1, wherein: the processing core is further configured to requestrelease of a second buffer location, which was previously allocated tothe processing core by the buffer manager, by writing a second bufferpointer associated with the second buffer location in the cache; and thebuffer manager is further configured to (i) read the second bufferpointer from the cache and (ii) release the second buffer location bymaking the second buffer location available for allocation to anappropriate component of the SOC.
 7. The SOC of claim 6, wherein: thebuffer manager is further configured to write the first buffer pointerassociated with the first buffer location in a first queue in the cache;and the processing core is further configured to write the second bufferpointer associated with the second buffer location in a second queue inthe cache, the second queue being different from the first queue.
 8. TheSOC of claim 6, wherein ones of the first queue and the second queue arefirst-in first-out (FIFO) queues.
 9. The SOC of claim 1, furthercomprising: a plurality of processing cores; and ones of the pluralityof processing cores are respectively configured to transmitcorresponding buffer allocation requests to the buffer manager and torequest the buffer manager to allocate one or more corresponding bufferlocations to the corresponding processing cores.
 10. The SOC of claim 1,further comprising: an interface configured to (i) receive the bufferallocation request from the processing core and (ii) re-transmit thebuffer allocation request to the buffer manager.
 11. A methodcomprising: issuing, by a processing core, a buffer allocation requestto a buffer manager to request the buffer manager to allocate one ormore buffer locations to the processing core; in response to receivingthe buffer allocation request, allocating, by the buffer manager, afirst buffer location to the processing core by writing a first bufferpointer associated with the first buffer location in a cache; andobtaining, by the processing core, the allocation of the first bufferlocation by reading the first buffer pointer from the cache.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising: based on the first bufferlocation being allocated to the processing core, storing, by theprocessing core, information in the first buffer location.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein storing information in the first bufferlocation comprises: storing, by the processing core, information in thefirst buffer location such that the information comprises one of a datapacket or a packet descriptor associated with the data packet.
 14. Themethod of claim 11, wherein allocating the first buffer locationcomprises: allocating the first buffer location to the processing coreby writing the first buffer pointer associated with the first bufferlocation in the cache such that the first buffer pointer comprises anaddress of the first buffer location, wherein the method furthercomprises: accessing, by the processing core, the first buffer locationusing the address of the first buffer location included in the firstbuffer pointer.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein allocating the firstbuffer location comprises: allocating the first buffer location to theprocessing core by writing the first buffer pointer associated with thefirst buffer location in the cache that is a level 1 (L1) cache.
 16. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising: requesting, by the processingcore, release of a second buffer location that was previously allocatedto the processing core by the buffer manager, the requesting comprisingwriting a second buffer pointer associated with the second bufferlocation in the cache; reading, by the buffer manager, the second bufferpointer from the cache; and releasing, by the buffer manager, the secondbuffer location by making the second buffer location available forallocation to an appropriate component of the SOC.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, wherein: writing the first buffer pointer comprises writingthe first buffer pointer associated with the first buffer location in afirst queue in the cache; and writing the second buffer pointercomprises writing the second buffer pointer associated with the secondbuffer location in a second queue in the cache, the second queue beingdifferent from the first queue.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein:writing the first buffer pointer comprises writing the first bufferpointer in the first queue that is a first-in first-out (FIFO) queue;and writing the second buffer pointer comprises writing the secondbuffer pointer in the second queue that is a FIFO queue.
 19. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by ones of a pluralityprocessing core, corresponding buffer allocation requests to the buffermanager to request the buffer manager to allocate one or morecorresponding buffer locations to the corresponding processing cores.20. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the buffer allocationrequest comprises: transmitting, by the processing core, the bufferallocation request to an interface; and transmitting, by the interface,the buffer allocation request to the buffer manager.